Introduction

The following resources are provided to aid Certified Water Right Examiners in the preparation of certain application maps and for Claims of Beneficial Use for applications filed after July 9, 1987, and to provide information about how Claims of Beneficial Use are evaluated by the Department.

Claim of Beneficial Use Forms and Completeness Checklist

Claims of Beneficial Use submitted to the Department must be completed on a form provided by the Department. The current versions of the Claim of Beneficial Use form are available for downloading below in Word and PDF form (non-interactive).

Calculations and Calculators

Claims of Beneficial Use submitted to the Department must include calculations indicating the maximum capacity of the system. The calculation instructions below describe the calculations used by the Department to determine the theoretical capacity of pumps, sprinklers, ditches and canals, gravity flow pipes, and small reservoirs (those not requiring as-built plans). The Department has prepared a series of calculators (Excel spreadsheets) to help determine the theoretical capacity of pumps, sprinklers, ditches and canals, and gravity flow pipes. Those calculators are available to download below.

Find Out if a Property Has a Water Right

Realtors are encouraged to begin researching Water Right information for property(ies) involved in real estate transactions as soon as possible. To that end, there are several methods that can be used to determine whether a piece of property has a water right. The appropriate method depends on the information you have. The Department has developed step-by-step instructions to help utilize the water right mapping page. To access the most common methods for determining whether a piece of property has a water right, click here.

DISCLAIMER: The information reflected in the Water Right Mapping page is derived by interpretations of paper records. Please refer to the actual water right record for the details on any water right. Care was taken in the creation of the data but is provided “as is”. The Water Resources Department cannot accept any responsibility for errors, omission, or accuracy of the information. There are no warranties, expressed or implied, including the warranty of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose, accompanying this information. However, notification of any errors is appreciated by the Department.

Continuing Education Resources

OAR 820-050 requires CWREs to 10 professional development hour (PDH) units in subjects related to the practice of water right examination each renewal period. “Water Right Examination” includes: courses or study related to water right applications and claims of beneficial use, Water Resources Department programs, water law, or other subjects related to the work of a Water Right Examiner.